


Start Over

by RainKiss



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Deal With It, Don't worry, Gen, Goode High School (Percy Jackson), Paul is a good dad, Percy sets him straight, a poor education system, guidance counselor ought to be more supportive, outsider pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainKiss/pseuds/RainKiss
Summary: Mr. Morelli is not a nervous person by character, but the file in front of him gives the scholastic transgressions of the new kid, who has been allowed to attend Goode High school—the place where he works.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson (background) - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 206





	Start Over

**Author's Note:**

> I’m cross-posting this on Ao3 from my FanFiction.net account "Kisses Reflect." The stories here are not stolen from my FF account.

Mr. Morelli is not a nervous person by character, but the file in front of him gives the scholastic transgressions of the new kid, who has been allowed to attend Goode High school—the place where he works.  
  
He is the guidance counselor here. One of those people who is in charge of deciding if a student may join Goode.  
  
And this Jackson kid has been given a pass for the entirety of his sophomore year, even after his horrible attendance record, his overall D grade, very less participation activities and the like.  
  
Morelli is new to Goode, but he can already imagine what kind of truant Jackson might be. The classic 'bad boy' who sat at the back of the class, dealing in nefarious businesses in the smelly bathrooms and hung around with the downtown crowd until midnight, rarely even bothering with education and his own family.  
  
The counselor adds a scowl to the imaginary Jackson in his head when his cell rang and he jumped. "Er… Stanford Morelli, Goode Guidance Counselor."  
  
A fresh voice, fresh as in – ready for the day – voice, called out through the line. "Hello, Mr. Morelli, this is Paul Blofis. I'm in the English department in Goode. Dean Summers informed me that you've decided that Mr. Jackson could continue his schooling here."  
  
Morelli sits up, looking into the file. Paul Blofis is one of the teachers he met on his first day of school. A man of good character and judgment, Morelli hasn’t expected Blofis to be concerned with someone like Jackson.  
  
"Yes. Yes, I did."  
  
"Well, I have to thank you for that. Percy's mother was adamant that Goode would be the best place for him since he's been responding well to the program here. It's been better than the previous school, let me tell you. I hope you've had no second thoughts. I spoke to Percy about this and he promised that he'd do his best to keep up all his grades. He's a good kid and he has real motivation to be here."  
  
Morelli tries to think positive. He'd heard this a hundred times. 'He really wants to be educated.' 'She understands how important school is.' 'I'm so glad you're giving them a second chance at their lives. Their future!'  
  
Most of the time, the troublemakers would relapse back into rehab or juvie. There are select kids who really find the light in school through new friends, comforting teachers, better interests, but the chances of being so focused on the future are low because what kid actually is prepared to be stuck in one field for the rest of their lives? Morelli understands that a poor student is not a bad child, but some cases simply irk on him and Jackson is sure to be one of them.  
  
"I'm glad," he replies, hoping his voice wasn’t faking the politeness. "I'm looking forward to his progress. I usually keep tabs on students like him through the test scores. He will be joining next week. So I hope he can keep up with the courses."  
  
Blofis usually has a certain optimism in his tone, but it dulls down in his next set of words.  
  
"Students like him?"  
  
Morelli cringes, "Nothing like that, Mr. Blofis. I assure you, I'm simply aware of troubled children who may find it difficult to be in a studious environment for an extended period of time."  
  
Blofis lets out a gust of air which increased the static in the line. "Well, I hope your point of view will change after you make your acquaintance with Percy. He's a wonderful person. He may have had his share of bad luck, but I'm certain he'll be better prepared for the new term."  
  
The counselor tries not to make a retort. He knows more about such kids than Paul Blofis does. After working with so many of them who view life as an unending series of misfortune, it isn’t easy finding the ones that can succeed. There is no sure-fire way of getting a student to understand the gravity of education. The only reason why Jackson even made it back in Goode is that he hasn’t failed in too many subjects before he skipped out, which was a miracle in Morelli's eyes.  
  
"Well, I hope to meet him soon." Assuming Jackson didn't bunk.  
  
Blofis may have faith in him, but Morelli stands by his principles of observing and then deciding.

  
**~~~**

  
He can't have been more wrong.  
  
Percy Jackson looked perfectly ordinary.  
  
Well, except for the fact that he has a slightly scarred face, twitchy hands, and a steely look in his eyes that suggest he is prepared to attack or be attacked at any time, Jackson looks like a regular teenager.  
  
Through the first month of observation, Morelli sees a thankfully different personality rather than what he expected. No rings, no tattoos, no dyed hair, or improper dress code, no evidence of suggestible activities. Jackson is almost boring to watch.  
  
He has his quirks. He always fiddled with the same pen that would never write. He has a girlfriend with whom he literally couldn't be far from. He looked almost possessive of her, which makes Morelli wonder if they had any relationship abuse between them but Ms. Chase is completely content to be with him. In fact, she looks most relaxed only when Jackson is by her side.  
  
And as far as the schooling goes, the assignment scores aren't too bad. They are bordering between B and C, which is clearly a high point in the boy's life, since he seems proud of his work.  
  
On a dull Tuesday morning, Jackson actually visits the Guidance Counselor’s office.  
  
"Yes?" Morelli asks, trying not to look stunned. Students, as a rule, usually avoids him since any association with a counselor meant 'shrink alert!'  
  
"Yeah, good morning, Mr. Morelli. I'm Percy Jackson and Ms. Giselle told me that I'm supposed to submit my marks record to you."  
  
He held out the shiny paper of all his scores of the first series of tests.  
  
"Thank you," Morelli replies, looking through the record. No fails. No red comments. A miracle in his line of work. He should be glad, but it keeps striking him as odd. It’s like Jackson’s made too much of a leap.  
  
"You know something, Mr. Jackson." Morelli asks just as the boy is about to leave. "There aren't many children who would be able to catch up on schoolwork after  
skipping an entire year."  
  
He means it as a point to note. Jackson looks reserved at that.  
  
"Oh. Well, I have a really great tutor. She's brilliant at school and we have a plan set for the future which involves a successful graduation."  
  
He speaks openly, smiling with a barely suppressed pride.  
  
Morelli nodded. "Who's this tutor, if I may ask?"  
  
"Annabeth Chase."  
  
The answer is given without hesitation and with ease. Morelli half expected him to refuse a name if the marks were scored through cheating.  
  
"Isn't Ms. Chase repeating her sophomore year, the same as you?"  
  
"Yes." The smile dims a bit.  
  
"It doesn't add up, does it?"  
  
Jackson looks irritated. Morelli, expects this emotion, so he keeps himself composed wondering if the student is going to bust his office with a baseball bat.  
  
"She has a close personal responsibility and she believes that family comes before education and school. And everyone supported her. My case does not relate to her, simply because we know each other. As a professional counselor, I would've thought you would be open-minded in matters like this."  
  
Jackson's voice is cold and slightly taunting. Morelli, for most of the fact, is taken aback. No troublemaker had ever seemed so mature as the one standing in front of him. It makes him wonder if the boy is simply a victim of bad circumstance, as how Paul Blofis put it.  
  
"I see," Morelli replied, trying not to sound chastised. He feels like it though. "I would believe that I owe Blofis his right."  
  
Jackson gives him a blank look. Morelli smiles. "If you see Mr. Blofis, you can relay on that I was wrong. One can never be right all the time, anyways."  
  
The kid shifts his feet, grinning slowly. "Let me guess, he called before to put in a good word for me?"  
  
"Yes. How'd you know?" Morelli suspects the boy to have asked Blofis to do that.  
  
"He's my stepfather. Stepdad. Mom's best bud. My ticket into the educational stream. But seriously, I'll let him know."

  
So judging before observing didn't work out for Morelli in this case, at least he finds a good motivational story out of the situation for other students labeled as  
stereotypical troublemakers.  
  
Really, they need to change the system. How else are they supposed to help those in need of it the most?


End file.
